Bethlehem to pick Karen Dolan's replacement Nov. 5

Bethlehem City Council President J. William Reynolds explains the process to replace Council woman Karen Dolan.

Bethlehem City Council will pick a replacement for Councilwoman Karen Dolan, who is resigning after a grand jury concluded she is unfit for elected office, on Nov. 5.

The appointment will take place four days after Dolan steps down, a quick turnaround that council arranged so the new member is sworn in before budget hearings start.

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The appointee will serve about a year, until after an election to fill the final two years of Dolan's council term, which expires in 2018. A council member makes $7,100 annually.

Council members will be asking candidates to provide written answers to several questions, which can be obtained at the city clerk's office Friday. The answers, resumes and cover letters of interested candidates will be due by noon Oct. 31.

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Council President J. William Reynolds and Councilman Bryan Callahan said they would consider giving more weight to candidates who aren't interested in running in the election.

Callahan said the appointment would give the person an "unfair advantage."

"I would prefer that we appoint someone who will not turn around and run for … election in the primary," he said.

Councilman Michael Recchiuti said council should take politics out of the decision and not worry about who will run.

Council members talked for about 10 minutes about the process for replacing Dolan and did not comment on the grand jury's findings.

Dolan was not at the meeting, the last one before she resigns Nov. 1 and council's first meeting since Oct. 9, when the Northampton County grand jury issued a scathing report that called for her resignation.

The report is also asking the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission to review whether Dolan crossed ethical lines in her role as a council member and as leader of the Gertrude B. Fox Environmental Center. The nonprofit undertook the $1.2 million restoration of Illick's Mill, which is owned by the Bethlehem Authority.

The report found Dolan tried to "influence and intimidate" city officials into making public policy that would benefit the nonprofit.

Dolan exercised her Fifth Amendment rights not to testify against herself and did not answer questions before the grand jury.

In her resignation letter last week, Dolan said she is flawed and makes mistakes.

The grand jury found she used her influence so the nonprofit could avoid paying a nearly $128,000 construction bill for the mill's restoration.

The city also waived utility expenses the nonprofit was required to pay under a lease agreement with the city. The nonprofit rented out the building for weddings and other events where wine was served, even though wine is barred from city parks.

Over the last year, Dolan has also resigned as the nonprofit's CEO and as a board member. The nonprofit has since closed its public drop-in center on the first floor of the mill, though it will honor its rentals for weddings and other parties on the mill's second floor.